


Third Time Lucky Prequel

by hergerbabe



Series: Third Time Lucky [4]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Accidents, Angst, Coma, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-09
Updated: 2012-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-29 06:37:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/316832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hergerbabe/pseuds/hergerbabe





	Third Time Lucky Prequel

Pairing: CLex  
Rating: PG-13  
Category: Angst  
Notes: This is what happened from the crash to when Lex wakes up  
Warnings: Not really  
Archive: My site  
Disclaimer: Not mine

Clark screamed. He'd never felt such pain before, not from bullets, not from meteor rocks, an internal pain because everything had shattered. His whole world had seemingly ended in a split second. The split second that would be etched into his memory forever as a screech of tyres, grating of metal and Lex's cry of fear and pain.

It seemed like the police and ambulance came straight away. Clark wasn't sure how long he'd sat by the tree he'd knocked down from the sheer impact of being thrown from the car, but he just couldn't seem to move. Was Lex dead, alive, hurt? Clark didn't even know, couldn't stop shaking and screaming, couldn't go and see... because what if, what if...

Clark howled, pain filling every fibre of his being.

@>*~

He woke up with a start. The room smelt... wrong, of bleach and antiseptic, of sickness and pain. Clark lifted his head, shocked to find himself in a hospital room. How had he even got there?

The strange wheeze of a respirator and the beep of monitors and I.V.s filtered through his consciousness and Clark nervously turned his head.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," he breathed, throat tight with tears, heart clenching painfully. "Oh Lex." Lying on the bed beside his chair, his boyfriend lay, pale, fragile looking, swathed in bandages and hooked up to far too many machines. "Oh Lex, I'm so sorry," Clark whispered. This was all his fault, _all_ his fault. If he hadn't been driving, if he hadn't deliberately provoked an argument, in his frustration over the lack of progress in their sex life, yet again... his fault!

Grasping Lex's hand gently, Clark shifted closer so he could hold it to his mouth without disturbing any lines or wires. He kissed Lex's soft skin gently, staring at his boyfriend in pained regret.

Hours or maybe minutes later, the door opened behind him. Clark didn't move, just held Lex's hand to his mouth, kissing periodically, breathing desperate apologies almost constantly.

"Clark, honey?" His mother's soft arm wrapped round him and Clark felt his breath hitch.

"Mom, is it bad?" he asked quietly.

"Oh sweetie..." The choked quality of her voice finally made Clark look round.

"Mom, please, you gotta tell me," he begged.

"He's in a coma," she replied softly.

"Oh God." Clark's eyes stung with fresh tears and he shuddered, trying not to collapse under the despair.

"I'm sorry, Clark," Martha whispered, "I know... I know how you felt about him."

Clark yanked himself away in horror, gasping, " _Feel_ about him, don't talk about him like he's dead!"

"I'm sorry," Martha sighed, "I'm sorry, it's just that..." she stopped and looked away.

"What?" Clark asked, barely able to breathe from the fear clutching his heart.

"They're not sure if he'll wake up and even if he does... they, well, they think he won't walk again," she whispered.

This time, Clark did collapse, in on himself. He curled up in the chair, wrapping his arms round his head. "My fault, my fault, my fault," he whispered, sobbing quietly, "So sorry, Lex, so sorry. Love you, never hurt you, so sorry."

"Clark!"

His mother's scared tone and the fact that she'd actually slapped him, shocked Clark out of his pained self-pity and grief. "Mom?" he gasped.

"I'm sorry, Clark," she said with a grimace, "But you're no good to Lex like this, are you?"

Clark sniffed and swallowed back his tears. She was right. Lex was the one who was hurt, who needed him. Clark would do whatever it took to look after his boyfriend, even if... even if he never woke up, Clark knew he'd still be at Lex's side because he loved him more than life. "Thanks, Mom," Clark said, his voice firmer now.

"Time to go, honey," Martha gestured to the door.

"No." Clark shook his head. He was not about to leave Lex alone.

"Clark, you've been here for days, barely conscious, throwing a fit if anyone tried to move you from Lex's side," Martha frowned, her eyes shining, "You need to come home and get some rest, eat and get cleaned up."

"I can't," Clark whispered, "Please, Mom I can't leave him."

She sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Okay, I brought a change of clothes, you can shower in the bathroom. I'll bring you some food."

"Thank you," Clark whispered, leaning up to kiss her cheek. She handed him the bag with his clothes. "Lex?" Clark said hesitantly. He picked up Lex's hand again and kissed it, "I'm just going to have a shower, I'll be right next door and I'll be as quick as I can, okay?" Standing up, Clark leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's forehead.

@>*~

"I'm not going," Clark said stubbornly.

"Mr. Kent, this is ridiculous. You can't stay here _all_ the time," Dr. Bradley said in exasperation.

"Yes, I can. I love him, I won't leave him alone," Clark repeated for what seemed like the millionth time.

"If you loved him, you'd take better care of yourself," Dr. Bradley said more kindly.

"What?" Clark asked, startled.

"Do you think Mr. Luthor is going to be happy waking up to see you've been neglecting yourself? You're not eating properly, you never go anywhere, you're skipping school... he'll feel terrible," Dr. Bradley explained.

Clark blinked. He hadn't thought of it like that before, hadn't thought of taking care of himself as part of supporting Lex. But maybe the Doctor was right. Sighing, Clark nodded. "Okay, I understand."

Dr. Bradley smiled. "Good. Now I promise we'll take good care of him when you're not here, okay?"

"Thanks Doc." Clark smiled weakly. Only a couple of weeks had passed and already he had a reputation with the nurses and doctors for being extremely over-protective towards Lex. He turned his attention to his boyfriend. "Lex, listen, I'm going to go home for a bit. I promise I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" He leaned over and gently kissed Lex's forehead, "Love you." It was painful to leave Lex's side, but the Doctor was right, he had to take care of himself too.

@>*~

"What do you mean, you're going back tomorrow?" Jonathan thundered.

"I'm going back," Clark said quietly, "I can't leave him alone, Dad, I can't. I'm all he has."

Jonathan spluttered, "Ridiculous. Besides, what about school, the farm, your friends? What about your life?"

"Lex is my life," Clark whispered.

"You are only just sixteen, I will not have you ruining your life for the sake of a comatose Luthor," Jonathan snapped.

"You can't stop me," Clark snapped back.

"You think so..."

"Stop it, both of you!" Martha shouted. "Sit down!" With a shared look of shock, Jonathan and Clark sat down. "Jonathan, Clark _loves_ Lex. If he wants to see him every day, that's understandable," she started, "But Clark, you need other things in your life too. I want you to promise me you'll go to school and work around the farm as normal, okay? If you do, you can spend as much of your time outside that with Lex as you want."

"Martha!" Jonathan gasped.

Clark didn't hesitate, "I promise." In reality there was nothing they _could_ do to stop him, but he'd already decided on doing his school and farm work again so he'd only gained from the promise. He could fit the work around seeing Lex.

"Jon, it's the only way," Martha said quietly, "Just accept it." Jonathan closed his eyes and nodded.

"Thank you," Clark whispered, kissing them both. He ran outside to start on his chores. The quicker he got through the backlog, the more time he could spend with Lex.

@>*~

Couldn't breathe. Clark clawed at his throat desperately as tears clogged it up.

"Clark!"

A hand on his shoulder made him look up. "Where?" he croaked.

"It's okay, he's just been moved," Dr. Bradley said quickly. "I'm sorry, I left a message for you at the desk."

Clark dragged in a breath of relief. Lex was alive, it was okay. "Moved where?" he managed to ask.

Dr. Bradley frowned. "Against my recommendations, Mr. Luthor senior moved Mr. Luthor to a specialised hospice in Metropolis."

"Metropolis?" Clark gasped in horror. "Address?" He had to get there immediately. Dr. Bradley gave him the address and Clark thanked him quickly, running out again and heading for Metropolis. Minutes later, Clark walked into the hospice.

"Can I help you?" asked a waspish looking woman at reception.

"Um," Clark shuffled nervously, "I'm here to see Lex Luthor."

"Name?"

"Clark Kent."

She frowned at him, then glanced down at a folder. "You're not on the list. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Wait, what list?" Clark asked.

"The list his father left of people who can visit Mr. Luthor," the receptionist said irritably.

"Maybe he forgot?" Clark said desperately, "Please, Lex is my b-best friend."

She snorted. "A man like Lex Luthor is friends with a boy like you?"

Swallowing hard, Clark backed away, scanning the desk as he did so to find Lex's room number. As soon as she looked away, Clark speeded past her and made his way to Lex's room, slipping quietly inside.

"Lex," he breathed with a sigh of relief. The events of the day caught up with him and Clark collapsed onto the chair by the bed, taking Lex's hand automatically. "Oh Lex, I thought I'd lost you... when you weren't there, I thought, I really thought you were de-ad." Clark's voice broke and he sobbed quietly, wishing Lex would wake up, soothe him with a word, a touch. But he didn't, might never again. How was he going to deal with that? Could he really live like this, knowing Lex might never wake up?

Clark sighed. How could he live without Lex, period? He had to do this, had to be with Lex, care for his boyfriend no matter what. "Love you, Lex. You know I wouldn't leave you alone right?" he whispered, "I won't be here all the time, but I'll never leave you, I promise." Gently, he kissed Lex's hand and shifted closer, leaning against the bed.

A little while later, the door opened. Clark didn't look up.

"Who are you?" a voice asked.

"Clark Kent," Clark replied quietly.

"Should you be in here, Clark?" the voice asked.

"Yes, Lex is my..." Clark paused, "Can't leave him alone, I'm all he's got," he whispered.

"What's going on?" another voice asked. "Hey, what are you doing in here?"

"Leave it, Vi, he's not doing any harm," the first voice said.

"But Cherie, he's not on the list. Mr. Luthor was very specific," Vi said firmly. "Young man, you need to leave."

"Make me," Clark said quietly.

Vi spluttered. "Well, really! I'm calling security."

"You do that." Clark shrugged, still not taking his eyes off Lex. The door closed, but Clark knew the owner of the first voice, Cherie, was still there. "What do you want?" Clark asked.

"To know what you want with Mr. Luthor," Cherie replied.

"He's my best friend," Clark sighed, "I love him. Where else would I be, but here?"

"You poor boy," she whispered. "Security's coming, Clark, best be on your way."

Fianlly, Clark looked up at the red-headed, round, friendly looking nurse and smiled. "Thank you." He stood up. "Don't want to go so soon, Lex, but I promised, remember? I'll never leave you." Leaning down, Clark kissed Lex's forehead softly, then he swiftly made his way out of the hospice to run home.

Ignoring his parents, Clark grabbed the phone and ran up to his room, dialling a number from memory.

"Luthor."

"Why aren't I on the list?" Clark snapped.

"I beg your pardon? Who is this?" Lionel asked quietly.

"You know who this is," Clark growled, "Why aren't I on the list?"

"My dear boy," Lionel laughed, silently acknowledging that he did know who it was, "Nobody is on the list."

"What?" Clark gasped, sitting heavily. "You're going to just leave him there alone?"

"Hardly alone, Kent," Lionel snorted, "It's the best hospice in Metropolis, he'll have the best care."

"But nobody who loves him," Clark whispered, "Please, please put me on the list."

"Why should I?"

"Because _I_ love him. I want, I need to be there for him," Clark replied.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Lionel snarked.

Sucking in a guilty breath, Clark nodded to himself. "It was my fault, but I'm not going to stop making it up to him."

"You're going to have to," Lionel replied, "How are you going to see him if I don't put you on the list?"

"Try and stop me," Clark snapped, "You want to lock him away and forget about him, well I won't let you!" Slamming down the phone, Clark tried to control his shudders, his tears. He had to see Lex, there was no way Lionel was going to stop him. No way!

@>*~

"Oh Clark, not again," Cherie whispered.

"Just a bit longer, Cherie, please?" Clark begged.

The big nurse sighed. "Oh okay. I'm going to get into so much trouble, you know?"

"I'm sorry," Clark said quietly, "But I have to. I can't let him rot away in here alone, I love him."

"I know, honey," Cherie patted his shoulder gently, "And that's the only reason I let you get away with this."

Clark smiled gratefully. "Lex, I have to go again, but I'll be back tomorrow, okay? I promise I'll find a way to get your father to come round, then I can stay longer. Love you," he whispered. Standing, Clark bent over to give Lex his kiss on the forehead and sighed. His boyfriend looked normal again, like he was sleeping. Only the drip and the catheter indicated otherwise. It made it harder to deal with Lex not waking up. "See you tomorrow, Cherie," Clark managed a smile.

"Just how _do_ you get in and out of here?" she asked curiously.

"You don't want to know."

@>*~

"Clark."

"What is it, Mom?" Clark asked warily at the seriousness of her tone.

"The police were around earlier," she started.

Clark tensed. "Why?"

"You've been served with a restraining order," she told him nervously, "If you go to see Lex again, they can arrest you."

Lionel Luthor. "If he thinks that's going to stop me..."

"It had better stop you," Jonathan snapped. "This nonsense has been going on far too long."

"Nonsense?" Clark asked quietly, seething with anger, "This nonsense? The fact that I love Lex and that I want to take care of him is nonsense?!" Clark stood abruptly, forcing himself not to hit something. "It's bad enough his father is trying to isolate him completely, without you making it worse."

"Clark, don't be ridiculous," Jonathan snapped, "You cannot go and see Lex every day or help look after him."

"I can and I will," Clark said firmly.

"What about Lex, huh?" Jonathan asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Clark asked suspiciously.

"Is it fair on him to have a regular visitor now, when it's going to trail off later?"

"I'm not going to stop going," Clark grated out.

"And what if he's still in a coma a year from now, two years?" Jonathan asked quietly.

Clark sighed. "If it takes the rest of my life, I'll never stop going! Which part of 'I love him' didn't you understand?"

"You don't love him, Clark, you're barely sixteen, you don't know what love is. You're doing this through guilt and you'll end up resenting him, is that what you want?"

Deflating, Clark sat back down. Was it guilt? Lex would hate that. Yes, he did feel guilty, but that didn't mean he didn't love Lex. Clark knew, gut deep, that he'd always loved Lex, and it was that love that kept him at Lex's side. Guilt would have kept him away. With that certain knowledge to sustain him, Clark looked up at his parents. "I love him and I'll never leave him," he said quietly, unapologetically despite his mother suddenly bursting into tears.

"You can't let yourself get arrested, Clark, you know that," Jonathan said desperately.

"I know, I'm going to talk to Lionel Luthor again," Clark replied. He had an idea which just might work.

"Again?" Jonathan gasped.

Clark nodded and took the phone upstairs.

"Luthor."

"Stop the restraining order and put me on the list."

"Hello to you too, Kent," Lionel drawled, "Why should I?"

"Nobody's been able to stop me seeing Lex so far, what makes you think this will stop me?" Clark asked.

"You can't avoid school or home forever Kent, they'll catch you if you defy the restraining order," Lionel said quietly.

"And then I go to the press," Clark said equally quietly.

"Pardon me?"

"I'm sure the press would love to know that Lionel Luthor didn't visit his son _once_ in hospital after the accident...

"I was in Japan," Lionel interrupted him.

Clark snorted, "Whatever! I'm sure they'd also like to know how you've got him hidden away like a dirty, little secret with no visitors, not even you, to come and see him."

"I think I'm actually pleased Lex could inspire such loyalty. Very well, Kent, you may visit him whenever you wish," Lionel laughed down the phone.

"Thank you," Clark replied. He was more than a little suspicious that Lionel had acquiesced already, but at the same time, he didn't care if it meant spending more time with Lex.

"I'll drop the restraining order and you'll be on the list tomorrow morning. Will there be anything else?" Lionel asked sarcastically.

"Any chance of a few more names?" Clark asked quietly.

"You do surprise me, young man," Lionel sounded extremely amused, "Very well, what names?"

"Pete Ross, Chloe and Gabe Sullivan, Lana Lang and Whitney Fordman," Clark reeled off quickly, only including Whitney because he knew Lana probably wouldn't visit Lex without him. And Clark wanted Lex to have other visitors.

"They'll be on the list in the morning. Is that everything?"

"Thank you, Mr. Luthor," Clark whispered, then blinked at the sound of the tone when Lionel hung up. He could see Lex whenever he wanted, for however long he wanted. Clark nearly danced a jig of happiness and he ran downstairs again.

"I did it," he gasped. The impact of stifled hurt and nerves suddenly hit him and Clark burst into tears. Both his parents wrapped up in a tight embrace and Clark clung to them, sobbing quietly, letting the stress out finally.

@>*~

"Will you teach me how to do that?"

Phil sighed in exasperation. "You ask me that every day, when are you going to stop?"

"When you teach me how to do that," Clark replied with a smile. "C'mon, Phil, Cherie's taught me how to change his bedding, turn him, bathe him, change his I.V.," he trailed off hopefully.

"Oh, all right." Phil shook his head, "We'll start with the massage, okay?"

Clark nodded eagerly. Over the last few weeks, Clark had slowly been learning everything he could about caring for Lex, but until now, Phil, the physiotherapist, had refused. But persistance had paid off, and maybe Phil trusted him now that he knew Clark was serious and visited every day without fail.

It had been months and Clark never missed a day. No matter how much school or farm work he had, Clark spent a minimum of an hour with Lex each day. Even when the thought of sitting with a silent Lex made him so depressed he could barely function. Which it did, frequently.

It was so hard, maintaining a semi-normal life whilst struggling to live with the knowledge that Lex might never wake up. Sometimes, Clark wished it could have been him instead of Lex. But only sometimes, because he knew Lex would kick his ass for thinking like that. Clark wonder if it would ever get any better.

But he had support. Cherie seemed to adore him. Phil was nice and Dr. Wilson was great, very sympathetic. He even got visits from Chloe, Pete, Lana and Whitney occasionally. Mostly Chloe.

"Pay attention, Clark, this is important," Phil said sharply.

Clark smiled, "I am, I know."

@>*~

"Clark, what are you doing?"

"Oh hey, Chloe," Clark smiled up at his friend, "Just changing Lex's drip."

" _You're_ changing Lex's drip?" she asked a little disbelievingly.

"Yes," Clark replied. "Hey Lex, look who's here to see you." He smiled at his boyfriend's pale, serene face and bent down to kiss his cheek. "Say hello, Chloe."

"Hi Lex," Chloe said brusquely, "Why are _you_ changing his drip?"

"Because, Chloe, when I'm here, I'm the one who takes care of him," Clark explained patiently as he finished up. He carefully turned Lex onto his side and then sat down, gesturing at the other chair. "Sit."

Chloe sat, a curious look on her face. "But you're here every day."

"That's right," Clark nodded, "Cherie and Phil trained me to do everything to look after Lex, and Dr. Wilson is fine with it."

"Okay, okay," Chloe sighed. "How are you anyway? Never see you in the holidays."

"I'm fine most of the time," Clark said with a shrug, "I just... I just miss him, you know?"

"Yeah," Chloe replied archly, staring pointedly at him.

Clark flushed. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I just, I can't leave him."

"I know," she sighed, "Just promise me you won't stop coming to school."

Clark smiled, "Don't worry, I've already promised that."

Chloe smiled back. "Good."

@>*~

Two Years Later

"Hi Lex," Clark bounced into Lex's room excitedly, "I did it! I graduated and I'm coming to Met. U.!"

"Congratulations."

Screeching to a halt, Clark flicked his gaze away from the bed and grimaced at the seated figure. "What are you doing here?" he ground out.

Lionel smirked at him. "Paying my son a visit."

"Why?" Clark asked suspiciously.

"Can't a father just visit his son?" Lionel asked sounding annoyingly amused.

"Not if the father is you, no," Clark snapped.

"I come when I can..."

"You come when you absolutely have to," Clark interrupted angrily, "Which is _maybe_ once a year."

"Some of us have multi-billion dollar corporations to run," Lionel snapped.

"Which means some of us could delegate," Clark snapped back. Not that he really wanted Lionel to visit more often, but he felt hurt and angry for Lex that Lionel didn't.

"Do you want my continued permission to see him?" Lionel drawled.

"Don't threaten me," Clark growled, "I'll do whatever it takes to keep seeing him, and you don't want to know how far I'll go."

Lionel chuckled, "Are you threatening me, boy? How amusing."

"It won't amuse you if you force me to act on it," Clark said, forcing himself to speak calmly.

This time Lionel laughed out loud. "I can see why Lex kept you around." He stood, "See you next year, boy."

Clark didn't relax until ten minutes after Lionel had left the room, then he sank down into the chair. "God damn, Lex, I hate your father!" Clark sighed and shook himself. "How are you today, love? You look a little uncomfortable, how about a massage?" Clark got up to start his daily routine. "So anyway, graduation sucked. You know those stupid gowns? Mine barely reached my knees. I looked like such a dork, I swear. Don't worry though, Chloe took more pictures for when you wake up, so you can have a good laugh..."

@>*~

Epilogue

Clark was trying to study when, out of the corner of his eyes he saw Lex move.

Clark leapt up, heart in his mouth. "Lex? Oh my God!"

Lex struggled, grunting quietly. Clark speeded into the bathroom and dampened a washcloth. "Shh, Lex, wait," Clark whispered, gently wiping Lex's eyes so they'd open more easily. When they did, it was all Clark could do not to cry. Seeing those steel-blue eyes, even a little hazy, meant so much. He could see Lex was trying to swallow and stood again. "Are you thirsty?"

Lex managed a nod and Clark smiled. But a terrified whimper from Lex had him rushing back to his boyfriend's side. "It's okay, Lex, I'm not leaving the room, I'll be right back." Clark frowned worriedly, but Lex blinked and nodded again. As he went to get some ice chips, Lex breathed out heavily and shifted. "Lex, take it easy, please."

A huff of frustration that made Clark smile and Lex was trying to turn his head. "I'm right here," Clark moved back to where Lex could see him. "Sorry, I can only give you ice chips."

Lex grunted again and Clark gently put a piece against his lips, rubbing it slowly until he could part them, allowing a trickle of moisture into his mouth. After a few more minutes, Lex stopped him. "Clark," he croaked hoarsely.

Even as rusty and unused as it was, Clark had to hold back a gasp, he'd missed Lex's voice so much. "Don't try to talk yet, Lex, just take it slow," Clark said in quiet concern, reaching out to stroke Lex's face.

But Lex swallowed again and tried to clear his throat. "Wha?" he asked.

Clark couldn't quite contain his emotions this time and he looked away. "You, uh, you were in a crash, Lex, you've been in a coma."

Looking back again, Clark momentarily panicked before he realised Lex had gone to sleep. Joy, fear, love, anxiety all overwhelmed him and Clark stumbled out into the corridor, trying to control himself but failing miserably. Huge sobs racked his body, constricting his throat and chest, making him tremble and shudder.

"Oh Clark!" Cherie was next to him suddenly, wrapping comforting arms round him as she'd done many times before when Clark hadn't been able to control the pain and loneliness any more. "It's going to be fine, you know it is."

Hiccuping on a sob, Clark nodded, "He, he woke up."

She froze for a split second, then squeezed him tightly, dropping a kiss on his cheek. "It's going to be fine," she repeated, before bustling away to find the Doctor.

Clark nodded to himself. After three years of being lonely and lost, Lex was finally awake and it _would_ be fine. Because he loved Lex no matter what.

end


End file.
